


Another Day

by OblivionDTD



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Friendship, Gen, I lied about mild angst, I suck at writing romance, I'm not sorry, Mostly Fluff, So this is what you get, This is completely platonic, also there's a crackfic now, because ch 13 is pretty angsty, because it's a Steins;Gate AU, crackfics are cool, okay now i'm out of ideas, someone help me, there's a little bit of mild angst but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-04 18:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 9,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5344295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OblivionDTD/pseuds/OblivionDTD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Also posted of FF.net.</p><p>No matter what obstacles are thrown their way, they have always been best friends. Nothing can change that. They'll always be there to help each other, whether it's fighting heartless or fighting night terrors. Whether it's the darkness or an upcoming math exam. </p><p>A series of Platonic Soriku drabbles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Study Buddies

“This has got to be Xehanort’s latest plot!” Sora exclaimed, as he looked down at his Calculus homework. His expression was a mixture of confusion and exasperation, and the silver-haired teen next to him couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s not funny, I’m serious! This has to be part of Xehanort’s plans. I don’t quite know what they are yet…but it has to be!”

“Yes, because I am sure Xehanort has nothing better to do than bore you to death with math.” Riku replied, smirking at the younger brunette. Sora pouted in response to his friends teasing, making Riku laugh even more. “Alright, no more playing around. Let’s look at the next problem. Number 5: Decompose the acceleration vector into –”

“AAARGH!” the brunette groaned, holding his head in frustration. “None of this makes any sense! Life was so much easier when I was battling heartless and nobodies and saving the worlds.” Riku tried to interrupt his friend’s rant. He failed. “I mean, why do I need to know this anyway? It’s not like I’m going to school for math or anything. And aren’t we a little young to be in a Vector Calculus class? Classes like that should be saved for people who need it. And also – ”

“Sora!” Riku yelled at his friend, finally having enough of the brunette’s complaining. “I don’t get it either. But what use is there complaining about something we can’t change? Now come on, we need to get this work done. If we don’t do well in this class, we’ll have to take it again in summer school.” Seeing his friend’s horrified expression, the older boy knew he’d won the battle. Smirking to himself he turned back to his textbook. “Now that that’s settled…” he looked up at Sora, “…number 5.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally decided to make an AO3 account! Now comes the long and not really as grueling as one would think process of transferring the current 11 chapters of Another Day over here from FF.net. This one was really short I know, but they're drabbles so their aloud to be short.
> 
> Anyway I kinda wrote this maybe a month or so ago when I was bored in Calculus III. And yes, the problem Riku started to try to get Sora to do was something we did in that class. Acceleration Decomposition is actually a thing. Why Sora is in Calculus III when I have this set between KHII and 3D, I have no clue. 
> 
> This one was actually one of my favorite ones to write. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Just please no flames, I'm deathly allergic to Firaga.


	2. Everything Your Heart Desires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say when you wish upon a star, anything your heart desires will come to you. 
> 
> Five-year-old Riku and four-year-old Sora decide to see if their wish will come true.

“Look! Look, Riku! A shooting star!” The four-year-old brunette exclaimed. “My mom says that if you make a wish on a shooting star with all your heart, it’ll come true!”

The silver-haired boy gave his younger friend a questioning look. “That stuff’s only true in fairy tales and make believe.” Despite his words, the five-year-old boy looked up at the sky longingly, aquamarine eyes glimmering with hope. He became so lost in his own thoughts, he barely registered his friend looking at him.

Sora stared intently at Riku’s face, as though trying to solve the mystery that was the older boy’s thoughts. “Riku?” he called out, successfully snapping his friend out of his mystified stupor, “Do you wanna make a wish with me?” For a moment, Riku simply stared at his friend; Aquamarine eyes widened at the innocent question.

“Why?” He asked, still shocked at the question.

“Because… if we make a wish together… it’ll be twice as likely to come true, right!” Sora’s response elicited a laugh from his older friend. It was times like these that Riku was glad to have Sora in his life. “What’s so funny?! I’m serious!” The brunette pouted, eliciting another laugh from his friend.

“No, it’s not that! I was just thinking how glad I am to have a friend like you.” The two boys smiled at each other, then turned their heads towards the night sky and said together, “We wish that we’ll be best friends forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not one of my favorite of the chapters I've written so far. I feel like it would've been better if I were more familiar with how boys this age interact. Unfortunately I have two nieces so if that came out a bit in the writing and characterizing, then I'm sorry. 
> 
> And before you ask no I didn't forget about Paopu fruits binding the destinies of the people who share them. It's just that KH1 implied it in a romantic light. This is platonic, not romance. Get it memorized, alright? Plus I kinda based the idea around "When You Wish Upon A Star". It fits the Disney theme. So yeah.
> 
> Questions? Comments? Criticism?


	3. Nyctophobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A phobia is something that can't just be overcome in a day. It's a paralyzing, irrational fear. Though a normal fear and a phobia are different. So when Sora's parents believe it's time for him to face his fears, he panics and runs to the one person who understands him better than anyone.

For as long as Sora can remember, he’s been afraid of the dark. It wasn’t so much the darkness itself that scared him, but rather the feeling of being swallowed by eternal darkness. Of being trapped with no way back to the light. For as long as Sora can remember, he’s had a night light. Once he turned 13, however, his parents decided it was time for him to face his fears. Now, Sora sat huddled in his blankets trying and failing to find a sliver of light in the pitch black room. Panicking, the brunette fled his room and his house, running through the streets in the middle of the night to find the one person who made him feel safe in the dark. 

Riku awoke to the sound of knocking on the door to his balcony. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the 14-year-old walked groggily over to open the door, already confident of what – or who – he’d find there. Sure enough, he opened the door to find a messy head of brown hair and scared blue eyes staring at him. “Sora, what’s going on? It’s almost one o’clock in the morning.” The silver-haired teen stifled a yawn as he gauged his friend’s appearance. He looked shaken, as though he’d just woke up from a particularly vivid nightmare. 

“R-Riku…” he stuttered, tears forming in the corners of his eyes, “C-Can I stay with you tonight.” 

Startled and worried, the silver-hair teen nodded, stepping aside to let his younger friend inside, closing the door behind him. They walked over to the bed and sat down, and Sora started crying. “Sora! What’s wrong?! Did something happen?!” Riku looked at his best friend with an expression of worry, wondering what had shaken the boy so much to make him cry. When Sora failed to respond, Riku wrapped an arm around him in a comforting hug. In response, Sora practically jumped into his friend’s lap, wrapping his arms around the other boy’s waist and crying into his night shirt. 

“S-Sorry, sorry…” he stuttered out between sobs. Riku hushed him in response, muttering a mantra of ‘it’s okay’s and ‘don’t worry, I’m here now’s. “M-Mom and dad t-took away my night light. I-I don’t like the d-dark.” 

“I’m sorry, Sora. But it’s okay now.” Riku pushed his friend back just enough so their eyes met. “You’re safe here, Sora. I’ll never let the darkness hurt you.” 

“You p-promise?”

“Of course! Now come on, time for bed. It’s almost 2 in the morning now.”

Sora looked at him and nodded in response before laying down. "Hey, Riku...thanks" he said, tiredly smiled at the older teen.

"For what?"

"For being my friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those with no prior experience with phobias, a phobia is explained as an extreme irrational fear. When faced with what they are afraid of, people who suffer from phobias will tend to react in different ways. In my experience, I tend to have a small panic attack, though it could get worse. So that's what I did here. And of course parents always think phobias are the easiest thing to get over. They're not. Especially when the phobia is coupled with a traumatic experience. So I had Sora seek out the one person who would listen to him. Also, no his parents would not be worried when they woke up to find their son not in his room. It's implied that things like this have happened before. 
> 
> Also, in case you didn't catch it, this story takes place a year before KH1. Make the line about Riku not letting the darkness hurt Sora a bit more dramatic. I'll shut up now.
> 
> Questions? Comments? Criticism?


	4. Hell's Kitchen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooking is one thing. Baking, however, is a whole different story. You have to follow the recipe to the T. Even if it says to do something ridiculous. 
> 
> And really, what's the difference between stirring and mixing?

“Sora…that is _not_ how you mix the batter…” Riku said bluntly, looking up from the recipe book he bought from one of the worlds he visited recently. “The apple cake won’t come out right if you don’t mix the batter correctly.”

“What do you mean? You told me to mix it so I’m mixing it. There’s not a right or wrong way to mix cake batter.” Sora looked up at taller boy, an indignant expression playing on his face.

“No, Sora, that’s _stirring_ , not _mixing_. Here, let me show you.” The silver-haired teen grabbed the spatula and began mixing the ingredients in the batter while the younger brunette watched with a look that screamed annoyance. “You have to do this three hundred times to get the batter just the right textu –”

“ _Three HUNDRED_! Why three hundred?! Don’t you think that’s a bit overkill?! And why do we have to mix by hand?! Can’t we just use a mixer?! _That’s what they’re for!_ ” 

“If you use a mixer the cake won’t rise. Now come on, try again. Like I did.” His friend gave him a stubborn, defiant look, and Riku sighed to himself. “Sora.” He said in a firm tone, “the sooner you do this, the sooner the cake will be done. And the sooner it’s done, the sooner you can _eat it_.” At that, the young brunette shot up from his seat, blue eyes sparkling with excitement of the prospect of eating one of his friend’s cakes (Not many people knew, but Riku very good in the kitchen). Riku couldn’t help but laugh at the other boy’s antics. _‘Even after everything he’s been through, Sora’s still Sora.’_ Riku was snapped out of his thoughts by Sora throwing flour in his face.

“Quit zoning out, Riku! We have a cake to make!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a headcanon that Riku is actually really good with domestic stuff like cooking and baking. Don't really know why.
> 
> Anywho, this is actually based of an experience I had trying (emphasis on trying) to bake a cake with my stepmom. But unlike Sora, I stopped trying when she told me I was mixing it wrong. (for the record, I was doing it exactly how she showed me to do it, sooo...)
> 
> Questions? Comments? Criticism?


	5. Stormy Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's not easy to overcome the mistakes of the past. Everyone may say they forgive you, but deep down you feel as though they haven't.
> 
> When the worst storm in almost three decades hits Destiny Islands, Riku can't help but remember that fateful day when their peaceful world was destroyed by the darkness.

Strong gales like a wailing banshee crashed against the window as the typhoon raged outside the safety and confine of the modestly sized house. A young brunette of fifteen-years sat gazing out at the storm, cerulean eyes staring at the sky – once the same color – now covered in deep gray clouds. “Wow.” The teen said, terrified and awestruck at the destructive forces of nature. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a storm this bad. Or at least I don’t remember one quite so strong that the wind shook the house…” The brunette became lost in thought as he tried to remember a time when a storm this bad hit the tiny island where he was born and raised.

“That’s because there hasn’t been.” A young man with silver hair said in response, recalling a fact he’d learned from his parents. “The last time a typhoon this strong hit was about 28 years ago, and, last I checked, neither of us is 28 years old.” The sixteen-year-old teen stated knowingly, aquamarine eyes fixed in a steady gaze at his younger friend’s face. The silver-haired teen marveled at his friend’s fascination with the violent storm. The younger boy was always fascinated by new experiences and he adjusted well to change, much better than he, himself. And it never failed to amaze him that his friend could always look at a new situation with such childish fascination and innocence, no matter how much older they grew. No matter how much they’d seen in their travels.

“-ku? RIKU!” The older teen was roused from his thoughts by his friends raised voiced. “Geez, Riku, what’s up with you? You spaced out for like ten minutes there!” Aquamarine eyes widened slightly, surprised he had been so wrapped up in his thoughts for so long. He muttered an apology, to which the brunette gave a wide, heart-warming smile.“Don’t worry about it!” His expression turned serious for a moment, deep cerulean eyes looking on in worry. “But seriously, what’s going on? Is something bothering you? And before you ask, you only space out like that when something’s on your mind, so don’t try and deny it.”

“I’m fine, Sora. Don’t worry about it.” The older teen looked over at the younger and knew by the expression on his face that Sora didn’t buy it for a minute. They knew each other too well to be fooled by noncommittal responses and petty assurances. Sighing, the silver-haired boy resigned to tell the younger boy what was on his mind. “I’m just confused. We’re so different, Sora. I don’t get why you keep me around. After everything you’ve been through because of me –”

“Oh, would you just come off it!” The brunette looked genuinely frustrated. “You’re my best friend, Riku. I don’t care what dumb mistakes you made in the past. Heaven knows I’ve made dumb mistakes before. No one’s perfect; we’re only human. Sure you let the darkness into our world, but it's not like you really _meant_ to hurt anyone. And you weren't entirely responsible for all of it. You were manipulated to do terrible things. But I forgive you. Kairi forgives you. No one’s mad at you Riku, so stop being mad at yourself. Where’s the Riku who used to tease me relentlessly just to get me riled up? The Riku who could act like a stuck-up jerk sometimes, but would always listen when I needed to talk? I know he’s still in there.” Sora’s head tilted down, looking crestfallen, and Riku’s heart dropped to his stomach. He walked over and sat next to his friend, elbowing him lightly.

“Sorry, Sora. I just keep feeling like no one has really forgiven me, even if they’ve all said it. Maybe you’re right. It’s time I forgive myself and move on from the past.”

“It took you long enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty dark. It's a little more angsty and emotional than I normally write. I actually was basing the storm in the story on a terrible storm that hit my area during the summer and knocked the power out for over a week in most areas. They had a tornado warning out and everything. A tree even came down right next to my bedroom window. It's funny where you can draw inspiration from.
> 
> I actually am updating this as I post it here from FF.net. I added a few lines in about Riku meaning no harm when Sora was lecturing him. Originally, Sora had essentially said that Riku was being manipulated the whole time, but he wasn't in the beginning. So I fixed it.
> 
> Questions? Comments? Criticism?


	6. Study Buddies pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See, Sora? This is what happens when you study properly. Doesn't it feel great!
> 
> (a.k.a. A continuation of the first chapter)

“WHOOOOOOP!” Sora exclaimed, waving his recent Calculus exam in Riku’s face as the older teen left his Differential Equations class. Said silver-haired teen looked on at the younger brunette with amusement mixed with confusion. He snatched the paper from his friend’s hand and looked it over, a small smirk teasing his lips. 

“Huh, a solid A. See, Sora. It wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Riku teased, delighting in the pout forming on the younger’s face – he always did enjoy getting a rise out of him. 

“Ah, come on, Riku! Aren’t you at least a little impressed or proud or…something?! This is the best grade I’ve gotten in a math class since I was 10!” Riku had to admit, he had a point. Sora had always been averse to studying and doing homework; He usually would wait until Kairi started to nag at him about it. Of course, unlike Riku’s more strict parents, Sora’s parents only really cared that he passed his classes. So the young brunette was often far more indolent than either of his friends. 

“You’re right. Good job, Sora.” The brunette smiled widely in a way that could brighten up a room, and Riku gave a small smile back. “Doesn’t this make all that studying worth it now?” he asked, remembering his own experience with the class and how much work he put in for the grades he got. 

“Yeah. It feels much better than the C I got on the first exam!” 

“So…you admit I was right.” Sora’s eyes narrowed in feigned annoyance and the smirk returned to Riku’s face. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I hate you!” The younger brunette pushed his friend before starting away.

“No, you don’t.”

Sora looked back and gave Riku a quick, mischievous smile. “I’ll race you home.” He said before taking off at top speed. Riku laughed to himself. “Cheater!” he yelled out to the brunette before taking off after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *adopts a sing-song tone* Sora's a cheater~
> 
> So yeah this is yet another Calculus based chapter. 91 is the best grade I've gotten on a Calc test ever. So I thought I'd make a sequel to the drabble that started it all in celebration. WHOOOOOOP!
> 
> Speaking of that first line, It's actually a reference to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Case 4 Turnabout Goodbyes. During the trial's closing, Detective Gumshoe comes in to the defendant lobby and says that in celebration of the Not Guilty verdict. The reason why? Well if you're interested you should find out yourself. *smirks*
> 
> Also Differential Equations is essentially Calculus IV. And Riku-has-strict-parents is another headcanon
> 
> Questions? Comments? Criticism?


	7. First to Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even the best of friends fight. But the first fight is always the worst. Moving past these obstacles is difficult, especially when the two friends in question are only young children. 
> 
> Or maybe...it's easier for children.

“Come _on_ , Riku! I pinkie-promise I won’t tell anyone!” A small brunette continued to nag at his friend. He knew the older boy was keeping a secret, and he desperately wanted to know what it was.

“No way, Sora! It’s a secret; I can’t tell you.” The slightly older silver-haired boy said for what must have been the twentieth time.

“But why?” the young brunette whined, exasperated.

Riku, was beginning to get annoyed. He couldn’t figure out why Sora was so insistent on getting him to tell the secret that guy on the island told him. “Because I _can’t_. It’s a _s-e-c-r-e-t!”_

“Friends don’t keep secrets from each other, Riku. You’re being mean!”

The five-year-old groaned in frustration. “I am _not!_ You just don’t get it.”

“What don’t I get?”

“Well, ya know how if you tell someone what you wish for, it won’t come true?”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with the secret you won’t tell me.” Sora was beginning to suspect that his friend was trying to change the subject. It was upsetting to know that Riku wouldn’t tell him the secret. They were supposed to be best friends. And best friends tell each other everything, right?

“Well it’s kinda the same for secrets.” 

“No it’s not. You made that up.”

“I didn’t make it up!”

“Fine! If you don’t wanna tell me than don’t. I don’t care about your stupid secret.” Sora’s eyes watered as he looked at the older boy who he thought was his friend. Blinking the tears back, the young brunette turned to run away.

“Sora, wait!” Riku called before the younger boy got the change to move from his spot. “I’m sorry. I _really_ can’t tell you now. But…” he paused to think for a moment, trying to stop his voice from shaking and betraying the sadness he felt at his friend’s words and the regret he felt at having to keep a secret. “…I don’t really understand the secret either. All I really get is that I promised not to tell. You’re not supposed to break a promise, right…?”

“Y-yeah. Y-you’re right.” Tears spilled from large cerulean eyes as the younger child realized his mistake. Turning quickly, he ran to his older friend, throwing his arms around him and crying into his sleeveless shirt. “I’m sorry, Riku! I’m really sorry! Please don’t hate me! I’m sorry!” 

“S-Sora!” the silver-haired child gasped in response, but reciprocated the hug, comforting the younger boy. “It’s okay. I don’t hate you.”

“Y-You don’t?” Large blue eyes, shimmering with unshed tears looked up in hopeful surprise at the older boy’s words. 

“No way! We’re best friends…right, Sora?” The brunette smiled widely in response, and childish aquamarine eyes brightened as their owner laughed happily. 

“Yeah! Best friends forever!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again another chapter I'm not quite that proud of. Yet again featuring Baby Sora and Baby Riku (shut up they are babies to me! And have you seen how chubby 5-year-old Riku's cheeks are. He has the cutest little round face and his eyes are so big. I adore young children if you can't tell. Comes with the territory of "Aunt")
> 
> Inspired by a prompt by Star-Shaped-X on FF.net. But it kinda happened differently than I had planned. If you couldn't tell, it takes place after Terra meets Baby Riku and passes the power of the Keyblade to him.
> 
> Question? Comments? Criticism?


	8. Have Time, Will Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time heals all wounds. Unless, of course, you're going back in time. Then you see everything as it was before the wounds were inflicted in the first place. But when you know the people around you in the future, you have to be extra careful that these past versions don't see you. After all, you wouldn't want to tear a gaping hole in the space-time continuum or anything.

“So this is what Radiant Garden looked like before it was destroyed by Maleficent and the Heartless.” The brunette looked around in awe at the beauty of the world he had first known as Hollow Bastion. “I wonder if we’ll meet Leon and the gang. Or maybe we’ll meet Lea! Didn’t he say he’s originally from Radiant Garden?” 

“We should try to avoid anyone we know in the future. They didn’t know us before the first time we met them. We wouldn’t want to mess up the time lines.” The more sensible of the two time travelers looked around cautiously. Thirteen years isn’t all that long ago. They could run into anyone they’d met before at any moment. And the silver-haired Keyblade Master didn’t want to have to explain to one of their friends in the future – or worse, to Master Yen Sid – how and why they were in the past, possibly messing up the time lines. 

“At least we didn’t end up on Destiny Islands. I mean, could you imagine what would happen if we met ourselves? Or worse! What if we went further back in time and accidently stopped our parents from getting together. I think I saw a movie in one of the worlds I visited where that happened. What was it called again…?” The younger brunette trailed off in deep thought. He couldn’t, for the life of him, remember the title of that movie. Riku just laughed lightly at his younger friend, taking delight in his naiveté. Despite how many years passed and how much they had seen, Sora had never changed; not even now that he was a young man of seventeen. “Huh?!” Riku looked in alarm at his friend’s exclamation.

“H-Hey Riku, isn’t that –”

“ – Kairi?” Riku finished. Their eyes widened in shock at the appearance of their other friend. They had known since they first met Kairi that she wasn’t from Destiny Islands, but the revelation that their friend was from this world in particular came as a surprise. “This…can’t be real.” The four-year-old version of their friend was walking with an elderly woman whom Riku assumed was Kairi’s grandmother. Kairi had often mentioned that the only memory she had from her home was of her grandmother. 

“Riku, you know how in Kairi’s memory of talking to her grandmother, they were in a library? Do you think it was the one in the castle? You know, from back when Radiant Garden was still Hollow Bastion. Or after Radiant Garden becomes Hollow Bastion, I guess in this case.”

“Maybe, but still we should try not to run into her, either.” 

“Why? Kairi won’t remember meeting us? Or even seeing us, for that matter.” Sora pouted at the silver-haired man, upset that he couldn’t go meet any of his friends. 

“I just don’t think it wise to take a risk like that. Although…” Riku turned to look the younger man in the eye, smirking mischievously, “If you’re _so determined_ to go meet the younger versions of your friends, I’ll let you go.”

“Really?!” Cerulean eyes lit up with excitement, clearly oblivious to his older friend’s impish tone. 

“Sure, Sora. That is, _if_ you’re willing to be the one to explain to Master Yen Sid if something goes wrong.” All at once the color drained from the brunette’s lightly tanned skin. 

“O-On second thought, maybe we should just find a way to get back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Sora. Fear the wrath of the all-powerful Disney-spelled-backwards! Also Maleficent and the Heartless sounds like a band. Well hey! there's an idea for a crackfic!
> 
> I absolutely adore this chapter. I'd say that it's probably the best one I've written for this story. 
> 
> So I'm a huge fan of the British Sci-Fi show Doctor Who. But I'd fallen behind on the episodes. While I was trying to catch up with them, I had the though "Hey! what if a spell went wrong or something and Sora and Riku ended up in Radiant Garden 13 years in the past?". Note that Sora is 17 and Riku is 18 here. Thus where I come from Riku is legally an adult (hence why I don't use the word teen with him all that much)
> 
> On a totally unrelated note: I noticed that both Disney and Square are Keyblade Masters. But Square died in BBS. Foreshadowing? Probably not.


	9. To Give Thanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a world out there where they celebrate a holiday entirely revolving around giving thanks for what they have. Why does it work that way? And why don't they just give thanks every day?
> 
> Sora tries to solve the issues revolving around the holiday of Thanksgiving celebrated in the world of the USA (we're our own world because we can't get along with anyone. Haha! Get it! this is a joke I'm making fun of myself here please no flames)

“Riku, what’s Thanksgiving?”   


The silver-haired teen cocked his head in confusion at the young brunette’s question. Riku had visited a world once where they celebrated some very strange holidays. He’d heard of Halloween and Christmas, but then they had other strange holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and Easter. The strangest – in Riku’s opinion at least – was called ‘Thanksgiving’. This world had an entire holiday for giving thanks! Why don’t they just do that every day?   


Regardless of strange traditions, Riku didn’t remember Sora ever travelling to that world. And Riku, himself, didn’t tell his friend about the holiday. So why was he asking about it?   


Well, Riku supposed it was a harmless enough question. In fact, the older boy almost laughed at the younger’s innocence and naïve inquisitiveness. It always astounded the teen how his friend could go from being almost wise and insightful at one moment to childish the next. As simple as he might seem at times, Sora was quite the enigma.  


“Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate and give thanks for everything you have. Though a lot of the people on the world where the holiday originated forget its origins. They normally just make some sort of big meal and eat with their families, though some don’t even do that…”  


“Huh…so I guess that’s why they call it Turkey Day. But shouldn’t they be thankful for what they have regardless?” Sora began to mutter to himself, cerulean eyes closed in contemplation. When he spoke again his voice was almost unnaturally quiet, at least where the brunette was concerned. “I guess it’s right what they say. ‘You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.’ It’s the same way with us when you think about it.”  


“How do you mean.”  


“Well, remember when all we wanted was to leave the Islands and see new worlds?”  


“Of course. How could I forget?” _After all I was the one who opened the door and allowed the darkness to invade and destroy our world_. Riku added mentally, not willing to say those worlds aloud with Sora around.  


“Well, after we left and the islands were destroyed, I remember how much I really was missing home. Even though I got to travel all over the worlds, I kept having this feeling like I really just wanted to be back on the islands with you and Kairi, and Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. We didn’t get to really come back until over a year had passed. And I really missed the familiarity.”  


“Sora, you were asleep for more than half the time we were away.” Riku smirked mirthfully as the brunette gave him an indignant look. “But, yeah, I know what you mean. It’s funny…I thought I’d hated this place. But, now that I’ve been away, I’ve realized how many good memories this place holds for me.”   


“THAT’S IT!”  


Riku jumped at the sudden exclamation. Trying to steady his now racing pulse, he turned to his best friend, Aquamarine eyes portraying a look of mixed shock, perplexity and frustration. “What’s ‘it’?”  


“We should have Thanksgiving every day! We could set an example for the people in that world and – Hey! Why are you laughing!”  


Said laughing teen looked up, eyes filled with mirthful tears. “S-Sorry.” He stuttered trying to collect himself. When his fit of laughter ended, he looked to his friend showing more genuine happiness than he’d shown in years. “Sora, you don’t need a holiday to show you’re thankful. You don’t even need words. Just little actions are enough. Just one small action could turn someone’s entire life around, after all.”  


“Yeah, I guess you’re right!” Sora paused for a moment before addressing his friend again. “Hey, Riku?”  


“Huh?”  


“Happy Thanksgiving!”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously this was written around Thanksgiving and posted a few days before on FF.net. But I only just got an AO3 account. And I don't feel like back logging my dates for each chapter. I already put enough notes. 
> 
> I keep making references to things from real life (like BTTF in the last chapter). 
> 
> I'm kinda tired so I'll probably stop transferring chapters here and continue when I get home from school. The internet sucks and it keeps timing out so it's a little bit annoying. There's currently only two more chapters until I've posted everything I've written so far.
> 
> I've also noticed that I think my most overused line in this is "Hey, Riku". Seriously. Friggin' every chapter man.
> 
> Questions? Comments? Criticism?


	10. The Locks on our Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was just supposed to be a school project. Just a Psychology project. But when the topic for said project opens old wounds, even the most stoic person could be brought to an emotional breakdown.

"So, psychological manipulation, huh? Some topic to be assigned." Sora sighed as he skimmed through the psychology books he and Riku had borrowed from the library. They had only just returned from defeating Xemnas and their psychology teacher decided to assign them a project that would be worth 90% of their final grade. "I can't believe she would make it worth that much of our grade! It's not like we just got done _saving the worlds_ or anything!" Sora huffed in annoyance, waiting for some sarcastic reply from his best friend. Said silver-haired teen was staring intently at the book in front of him, deep in concentration. _'He must really be taking this project seriously! Well, I guess I better just grin and bare it for now!'_ Sora thought to himself before going back to his research.

The two teens continued their research for a while in silence. Sora had finished skimming over 3 books, periodically writing down certain pages with topics of interest for the project. He was about to move on to another when he realized that Riku was still on the same book as before. _'Is he reading the whole book or something?'_ The brunette thought briefly, before noticing his older friend hadn't left that particular page. Walking over to sit closer to the older teen, Sora took a brief look at the words on the page. His eyes widened in a worried shock at the paragraph he read:

**"Psychological Manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at another's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative, abusive, devious, and deceptive."**

The reality of the situation washed over Sora like a wave on the beaches of the Islands. All at once, the memories of how Riku had acted while he was manipulated by Maleficent came back to him. The witch had used the promise of helping Kairi to manipulate Riku to do her bidding. For once in his life, Sora was left speechless, unsure of what to say to help his friend. He knew that if he said the wrong thing he could end up hurting his friend. So he stayed sitting silently next to the older teen, hoping to eventually get a reaction.   
They sat like that for near an hour, nothing but deafening silence between the two. It was starting to become too much for Sora and, without thinking, he placed a hand gently on Riku's shoulder. The reaction was immediate; The older boy snapped out of his trance and tears left previously unshed fell like raindrops. The younger brunette became alarmed at this, pulling the silver-haired teen to him and doing his best to offer comforting words, as Riku always did for him when he was upset. After what felt like hours more, the tears began to subside. Riku turned away from Sora, hiding his face as though ashamed. At this the brunette smiled gently and said "You know, keeping your emotions bottled up like that is bad for you. You shouldn't feel ashamed for crying. That's what you always told me when the older kids would tease me for crying."

Speaking for the first time in over an hour, Riku said in a voice still holding a hint of sadness. "You're probably right. It's just...I didn't really want to remember those things so soon. I know I have to face the truth of it eventually, but for now I just wanted to try and forget for a while. But it seems fate isn't so kind..." He sighed, standing and walking over to a window. "You know the worst part? I let myself be manipulated. I let myself hurt people, convincing myself over and over that it was all to help Kairi. I even let her manipulate me into believing that you cared more about your new friends than me. I was a fool..."

"This may not be very helpful," Sora said, walking over to stand next to his friend, "But the past is in the past. We can't go back and change things that have already happened. It hurts, but we have to accept what is already done and move on with our lives. I...I wish none of that had ever happened to you. But I can't change it...or I would have already." He paused, sighing thoughtfully as he looked over at Riku's still-red eyes. This was the first time he'd ever seen Riku cry, and he was glad that his friend had opened up to him. "But no matter what happened in the past, we're still together, right? You, me, and Kairi. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka, too. We're all still friends. No one sees you any differently."

"You're right. Though, at times, I think that's what hurts the most. When you do something to hurt others, especially your friends, you expect them to hate you. When you realize they don't, you start to hate yourself, because you feel like you deserve it."

"Stop that! You don't deserve to be hated for anything you did, whether you were manipulated or not! You made mistakes. It's our mistakes that makes us human. If we were all perfect, if we never made mistakes, how would we ever learn. From failure you learn; from success, not so much! So quit the self-pity party already!" 

Sora was nearly fuming as he lectured Riku. He was about to continue when the older teen started laughing. In response, the brunette just stared on in confusion at his friend's change of mood. "T-Thanks, Sora." He managed to stutter out, gasping for breath after laughing for so long. "I really needed that."

"Say, why don't we ask the teacher to change our topic tomorrow? We'll say it makes us a bit uncomfortable or something."

"Sure, sounds like a great idea." They began packing up to leave when Sora had a realization.

"Wait! Does that mean I did all that research for nothing?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was based on a prompt from Cheri Berry Keyblade on FF.net. Though I went off prompt a little as usual. 
> 
> Personally this is my favorite chapter so far. It's also the longest one. But what can I say? Once I got started my brain wouldn't stop coming up with stuff. 
> 
> So yeah, Riku doesn't really seem like the type to cry or anything. But, like I said in the chapter summary, he had an emotional breakdown. And it makes sense when you think about it from a psychological standpoint. and I know I did two chapters kinda based around the same thing but I never said any of this was the same AU or canonverse. Besides you can't say you wouldn't act the same in Riku's place.
> 
> Well anyway, pretty angsty for something that I wrote. But the ending was at least a little humorous.
> 
> Questions? Comments? Criticism?


	11. Snow Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one spends their whole life on an island where it's always warm, they long for the day when they can run and play in the snow like children in other places. 
> 
> Now that Sora and Riku aren't busy fighting Heartless or Nobodies, Sora decides to drag Riku to another world for a snow day.   
> First of my December 2015 Christmas/Winter theme drabbles.

"Come on, Riku! Let's go!" The brunette pulled on his friend's arm like a hyperactive child. 

"With all the fuss your making, one would think you've never played in the snow before." The silver-haired teen smirked at the indignant pout on his younger friend's face.

"That's because I _haven't_! And neither have you! It never snows back home on the islands!"

"It's always too warm. The freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 degrees Celsius, remember? We learned that in science when we were kids."

"I know that! Geez, Riku, just because it looks like I'm not paying attention doesn't mean I'm stupid." The brunette sulked. Of course, the silver-haired teen knew that his friend was actually rather intelligent when he applied himself; It was just too much fun to tease him. 

"You can't seriously be telling me that, of all the worlds you've been to, none of them had snow." There were in fact a few that did. Riku knew from his own travels. He remembered fighting Sora in the Land of Dragons. The place they fought had snow. And he's sure Sora mentioned a place called Christmas Town. Riku got in his head to bring these places up, but Sora, as though reading his mind, quieted his thoughts by answering his unspoken questions.

"Yes there was snow in the mountains in the Land of Dragons, but I was a _little_ busy fighting Heartless the first time I was there and you the second. And yeah, Christmas Town had all sorts of snow but, once again, I had to _fight the Heartless_." Sora adopted a sarcastic tone and said under his breath, but loud enough so Riku could hear. "And they call me dense."

"Alright I guess you got me there. But if you wanted to play in the snow so bad then why didn't you just come back when you didn't have to fight Heartless?"

"Well I _tried_ to, but neither you nor Kairi wanted to go with me. You wanted to stay on our world for a little while." Riku did seem to remember being asked to go somewhere with Sora. He remembered turning him down in favor of remaining on their island for a little longer before they had to leave again. He remembered the poorly masked disappointment in his younger friends eyes.

"Well..." Riku said in an effort to make himself feel less guilty for refusing to go with him. "You could have gone without us." It was a weak attempt, he knew. The older teen knew what the younger would say in response.

"It wouldn't have been as fun by myself. It's much more fun when you're with your friends." The brunette looked at his best friend with a serene smile that lit up his face; Cerulean eyes seemed to shine even brighter. It was the moments like this that made Riku truly appreciate what he had.

"Alright." Grabbing his coat and gloves, Riku giving a genuine smile to his friend. "Let's go, then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I FINALLY finished transferring all 11 chapters of this story! Woohoo!
> 
> So yeah this one sucks a little. But that's because I'm running so low on ideas! Seriously I'm always welcoming ideas for this series. Right now I'm trying to write some winter themed stuff. I already know what I'm doing for my Christmas drabble, but I don't know what to do for anything else.
> 
> Yeah I made Riku feel guilty for denying Sora the fun of a snow day for this long. But it was only light temporary guilt. Made better by them going to play in the snow. Can I talk about how much I love the snow? I really do. 
> 
> And yeah Kairi didn't come with them and my excuse for this is her family was worried about her after she went missing (aka got kidnapped by Axel) in KH2 so she wasn't allowed to go. The real reason she wasn't in this chapter is because I suck at writing her. Whoops!
> 
> Questions? Comments? Criticism?


	12. Mele Kalikimaka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know that Christmas song that you get tired of by the end of the month because they play it over and over and over again?

The sun was shining in the vibrant cerulean skies over the small island; Bright rays of sunlight hit the calm waves of the crystal clear ocean causing it to sparkle like a freshly cut diamond. A young man lay silently on the beach, enjoying the mild warmth and fresh breeze customary to this time of year. It was rare that this young man got a moment of silence. Thus he resolved to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that this man did not enjoy being around others. It was just that, around this time fo year, his friends could become a bit - how should I say?- overbearing. Not in a 'they'll never leave you alone' way, but rather more of a 'they're acting like little children' way. It was endearing, for a while. However, it could also drive one up a wall. And this particular young man had already been driven so far up the wall that we had to climb up and build the wall three times as high. And now he's almost to the top of that. Needless to say, this poor young man deserves a bit of a reprieve.

That being said, the young man was enjoying his time to himself when he heard a voice call out his name. Blinking one eye open and looking to his right, he spotted two other young men around his age. They were heading over to him and they seemed a bit...flustered, perhaps?. Regardless, the young man sat up and addressed them. "Hey Tidus. Wakka. You two look like you've seen a ghost." The young man spoke teasingly. Though he already likely knew the cause of the other two's current expressions.

Now Tidus and Wakka were friends with this young man as well. However, unlike the young man's two best friends, Tidus and Wakka were not nearly as overly enthusiastic around this time of year. To be honest, they didn't really change all that much at this time of year from the others. That being said, they were also being driven up their own walls by the others. Poor souls.

"What happened? Did Kairi get to you and guilt you into helping her plan our holiday party?" This is usually the case around this time of - what? I didn't mention what time of year it was? Why, it's Christmas, of course! And Christmas meant Kairi's yearly Christmas party. Said young woman in question planned a Christmas party for her friends every year since she turned 8. They were always the most spectacular events! However, setting up was a lot of work, and the young woman had a way of getting the others to help set up. Though the young man we are currently with, since he always managed to avoid the preparations, had no idea whether his friend was using bribes, or blackmail, or reverse psychology to get the others to assist her.

"No, man it's worse!" Tidus and Wakka both looked near traumatized. However, the young man never got the chance to ask why. Not that he really needed to. He had a strong feeling that he knew what was going on. His suspicion's where confirmed when he heard his other best friend yell out to the two in front of him. "Tidus! Wakka! Where'd you guys go!" The two in question paled before running off in the opposite direction. However, just as our young man was about to do the same, he was stopped in his tracks. "Riku! Is that you?!" Riku froze, knowing that he couldn't run at this point. If he did, his friend would just chase him down. So he stood his ground bracing for what he knew was coming.

You see, just as Kairi's Christmas Party was a yearly thing, so was what Sora did around this time of year. Unfortunately, his favorite thing to do around this time of year was to pull out a ukelele and go around singing Mele Kalikimaka to everyone he ran into. The other islanders were not subjected to it all too often, and thus they found it endearing. Even Sora's parents thought it was sweet. But to Sora's friends, it was the worst part of this time of year, if only because he keeps bugging them just to sing the song over and over and over and over again. Fortunately for his poor friends, Sora actually had a rather decent singing voice. But the fact still stands that anyone would get tired of a song being sung to them over and over and over and over again, eventually. But no one was cruel enough to tell Sora to stop, for fear of upsetting him. So when he came over to our now statuesque young man and began singing, it was a shock when Riku lost his cool.

"Sora, please! I'm really not in the mood for that stupid song right now!" The words left his mouth before he could stop them. Sora went silent. You see, Sora truly didn't realize he was bothering anyone with his song. When Riku turned to look at him, he was biting back tears. Riku felt an empty feeling in his chest and quickly apologized to his friend. "I-I thought you l-liked my song." Sora's voice cracked a few times as he held back his tears. This just served to make Riku's heart break a little more.

The thing about Sora is no one ever wants to see him upset. Sora is one of those people who is always cheerful and upbeat. He's childish and innocent, so the islanders treat him like a precious angel who deserves nothing but happiness. On the off-chance that he does get upset, they all do everything in their power to make him smile again.

That being said, since Riku made him upset, he had to fix it. "Sora, I _do_ like your song. You have a great voice. That's one thing I've always been jealous of. But, Sora, you sing the same song over and over. It gets a bit tiring." At that Sora looked up with a confused expression. Sora could be a bit dense, so of course he wouldn't realize that people could get annoyed with hearing the same song on repeat the whole month of December. "So it would be okay if I sang a different song?" The question was far too innocent to come from a normal sixteen-year-old, but it fit coming from Sora.

"Of course. If you add variety, it's less tiring. It would be less like a broken record and more like a concert." At that thought, Riku came up with a wonderful idea. He was sure, if anything could cheer up his friend it would be this. "That's actually not a bad idea, now that I think about it. Sora, why don't you perform a concert for everyone? I'm sure no one would object to a holiday concert from you." The younger man's eyes lit up with excitement and Riku knew he made the right decision. "Just make sure you play some different songs, yeah?" Sora laughed and, bidding a quick goodbye, ran home to prepare a concert repertoire that everyone would love.

The concert itself was held that night. It went of without a hitch. It was one of the most enjoyable events of the year, and one that would likely become a tradition in years to come. And right at the end, Sora decided to play the song one last time. And everyone, even Riku, TIdus, and Wakka, sang and laughed along with him, all of them giving one last Mele Kalikimaka for the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way longer than I wanted because I got absolutely no reviews back on FF.net even though a lot of people are viewing my story there. Let me just let the ghost readers know that those of us who write fanfiction love to receive reviews. For me it's literally the only thing that keeps this story going. Since I haven't been getting any reviews I'm running out of ideas. Most of you probably don't care though anyway. So if I don't get any reviews (not just saying it's good or something short) then I will probably stop writing this. I feel like I'm not appreciated enough for the work I put into each chapter. So as unfortunate as it is, this may be my last chapter. Second-to-last if I feel like writing a Christmas.
> 
> If you do want this to continue, please leave a review either here or on FF.net. I need to know what I'm doing right, what I can do better, what you liked about the chapter, stuff like that. Please? I really like writing this but I don't feel motivated if no one actually likes it.


	13. Kingdoms;Gate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is a fickle thing. Time travel - even more so. A small change to the past can make a big impact in the future. 
> 
> Steins;Gate AU
> 
> Warning: I recommend watching the anime Steins;Gate before reading this chapter. Believe me it will make this have a much bigger impact.

They appeared before us as if from no where. Men in black coats. And before any of us knew what was happening he was on the floor. Cold. Blood streaming from a bullet hole in his head. Dead.

Dead.

The word rang over and over in my head and before I could even comprehend my actions I ran over to the Time Machine we created. Well I guess it was more of a "happy accident" then a "creation" as it wasn't originally supposed to be a time machine. But none of that mattered now. He was dead. Sora was dead. My best friend was dead. And it was my fault. I killed him. This couldn't happen. I couldn't allow this to happen. It's all my fault.

It's all my fault.

It's all my fault.

It's all my fault.

My fault...

* * *

 

My phone rang.

But something was wrong. 

A stream of memories rushed into me, as though from another consciousness. It dawned on me then. Our time machine worked. We were successful in sending our consciousness to the past. But these memories...

No.

I can't let this happen.

"Where's Sora?!" I asked the other two lab members in the room, not even attempting to mask the panic in my voice. They looked at me with confusion. 

"He just left for the shrine five minutes ago. Dude are you high?" Axel, as _suave_ as always just kinda brushed me off with an allusion to illegal substance consumption. Damn techie.

Roxas, on the other hand, is a bit more empathetic (despite his obvious tsundere behavior). "Riku? Is something wrong?"

"No! Nothing! Just...both of you go home." They both tried to protest. "Just...please. Get somewhere safe."

I ran out of the lab, ignoring Roxas' cries to wait. I had to get to Sora. I tried calling.

No answer.

I called again.

No answer.

_No. No. Please no. Sora, please answer the phone._

I make it to the shrine...

...and he's gone.

_No. He must be on his way back to the lab. I have to stop him. If I don't do something fast, he'll...die. No that can't happen. I won't let it happen._

* * *

I ran for what felt like days. He wouldn't answer his phone. I couldn't find him. Was all this just for nothing?

I found him.

I finally found Sora. "Sora!" I shouted as I ran over to him. He turned to look at me...

...and he's gone. 

A car came from an alleyway. It hit him. It hit Sora. It killed him.

I killed him.

"Sora has been eliminated. Securing Riku now." A cold voice said, it's owner stepped out of the car. Those familiar dull eyes and that unmistakable 'X' shaped scar. _Saix._

"Damn you!" I yelled at the blue haired man who I'd watched kill my friend twice already. I ran back to the lab. I went back.  
But I couldn't save him.

_No matter how long it takes. No matter how many times I have to make the jump. I WILL save you, Sora. No matter what..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was the result of a new found love of Steins;Gate. I cried for literally like 6+ episodes in a row. Oh and sorry for the hiatus. Lack of inspiration + busy = no chapters. But I'm starting my spring semester in like 9 hours so instead of sleeping I wrote a fanfic. Whoopsie.
> 
> If you guys liked this chapter leave a comment. If enough people want I'll write a full Steins;Gate AU story. 
> 
> I originally made Riku as Okabe Rintaro just because I wanted to make his Mad Scientist name Ansem SEEKER OF DARKNESS in comparison to Hououin Kyouma. Then I found out that Riku and Okabe Rintaro share the same Japanese Voice actor. And I went nuts. Just for comparison's sake, Mamoru Miyano also plays Light Yagami (Death note), Ling Yao (FMA: Brotherhood), Tamaki Suoh (Ouran HS Host Club), Zange Natsume (Inu x Boku SS), among others. So that was quite the happy accident. But I regret nothing.
> 
> Not even that I made Sora as Mayuri.


	14. Words of Wisdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the road to recovery is best traveled with a friend.
> 
> aka Riku get's his wisdom teeth removed and gets all pissy cause he feels like shit

The sound of a gentle knocking filled the room, disturbing the silver-haired teen. Said teen buried his head under his blankets in an ineffectual and incredibly childish attempt to block out the offending sound. _Honestly, can no one just leave me alone to my misery._ It was already bad enough that his parents were bugging him with medication every few hours. But now he was having visitors. Between Tidus and Wakka's visit - which brought nothing but teasing remarks - and Kairi and Selphie's visit - which included excessive coddling and just generally treating him like a sick puppy - he was getting tired of dealing with it. _Maybe if I just ignore it they'll go away. Oh who am I kidding? If it is who I think it is they won't be chased away that easily._ And, just as he predicted, the door opened slowly. A set of clear blue eyes peeked into the room cautiously, as if worried that he'd woken a rabid dog or a grizzly bear. Spotting the figure of slightly older teen buried under layers of blankets, the visitor called out to him. The older teen growled in annoyance, peeking out of the blankets to glare at his visitor. "Go away, Sora" he mumbled just loud enough for the other boy to hear.

"I just wanted to ask how it went and see if you needed anything or wanted some company." The younger teen stood in the door, looking at the pile of blankets that was his friend.

"My mouth hurts, I haven't eaten since dinner last night, and I'm generally not allowed to eat anything more than ice cream and pudding all day. In other words, I feel like shit."

"Sorry, Riku. I really wish there was something I could do." Sora stated, looking sadly at the pair of aquamarine eyes, glaring at him from under the mound of blankets. "Maybe I should come back in a few days when you're feeling a little better." He turned away, heading towards the door, when he suddenly heard Riku gasp as though in pain. He turned around quickly and ran to his best friend's side, worried that something was wrong. "Are you alright?" If he was trying to mask the worry from his voice he was failing miserably.

"Can you go downstairs and grab the medicine from the kitchen? There should be three pill bottles, just bring them up here." Riku kept his voice steady despite his obvious discomfort. He had forgotten that his mom had left a little while ago and his dad was at some business meeting. If Sora hadn't been there, he would've had to get the medicine himself.

Almost as quickly as he had left, Sora returned with three pill bottles bearing Riku's name. The silver-haired teen struggled to focus his eyes through the discomfort. Finally figuring which one was the pain medication, he settled down and waited for it to take effect.

* * *

 Riku slowly opened his eyes and noticed the room seemed darker than it was a few minutes ago. Looking at the clock on his nightstand, he realized that it had been more than a few minutes. Rather he had fallen asleep without noticing, and almost three hours had passed. "Huh? Are you awake?" Riku jumped slightly, startled at the other voice. "Are you feeling any better?" Sora yawned as his stood up from his place on the floor. It seemed he had stayed to watch over Riku in case he needed anything else. That type of selfless action was so like Sora that it almost made Riku laugh thinking about it.

"I'm fine. There's still a bit of pain. But it's not quite as bad as it was." Riku sat up and gave his friend a rare smile, which the younger brunette responded to in kind. "And sorry about earlier. My last few visitors were a pain in the ass so I wasn't in the best mood." Sora laughed at that, knowing full well how his friends must have acted. Tidus and Wakka weren't the best people to rely on when you weren't well and Kairi and Selphie were a bit too "coddly" for someone like Riku.

"Hey don't worry about it. I'm sure I'd probably want to bite someone's head off if I'd had my teeth ripped out of my face, too. Though, I mean, I might be a little nicer if I would need the person to get me medicine. You know what they say: 'Don't bite the hand that feeds you'."

"Yeah but you said you would bite their head off, not their hand. Thus you argument holds no water."

"Shut up and go back to sleep. By the way, your cheeks are swollen. You look like a chipmunk." Riku grabbed the pillow he was laying on and threw it at Sora's face before buring himself back under the blankets in embarrassment. Yeah, this was why he hated having visitors when he was sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is It weird that I have an easier time getting inspiration to write when I'm in school rather than on break?
> 
> So over my winter break (which just ended Sunday) I had to get my wisdom teeth out. And of course that was no fun at all for various reasons. I had to miss my schools anime convention because of it. Plus I couldn't eat anything but Ice cream and pudding the first day (which is terrible for me because too much sweet food makes me sick). So yeah I was projecting a bit here. 
> 
> And I put the line about not wanting visitors when he's sick because getting your wisdom teeth out is essentially the same as being sick. Especially the first day.
> 
> Any feedback at all would be well appreciated.


	15. Fight with Fate (aka crackfic nonsense)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some crappy attempt at writing a crackfic chapter. This is bad and I should feel bad. I'm not sorry.

"What the hell were you thinking?" The silver-haired teen glared at the young brunette. "I leave you alone for 5 minutes and you go and do something stupid. What's the matter with you?!" 

"Hey don't blame me! It's not my fault!" The brunette stared back indignantly, refusing to back down in his argument. 

"Oh really?! Pray tell, whose fault is it?" Riku shot back. He was honestly curious what kind of bogus excuse his friend would come up with this time. He was always doing idiotic things for idiotic reasons. But for _some_ reason, in Sora's mind it was perfectly logical. Riku had stopped trying to comprehend 'Sora Logic' about 9 years ago.

"I'm just doing what the fortune cookie said. Who am I to stand in the way of fate?" Riku had to use all his will power to keep from slapping the younger teen. Seriously, who actually listens to what those fortune cookies said? Well, Sora did, apparently. 

"Yes, Sora, because a _piece of paper_ inside of a _cookie_ from a _Chinese take-out restaurant_ is an accurate prediction of fate's course." 

"It's called a _fortune_ cookie for a reason, Riku. Do you have to be so sarcastic all the time."

"All my observations are sarcasm-based. You should know that by now. And don't change the subject! That has to be the dumbest thing you've ever done. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh, stop over-exaggerating! I was perfectly fine."

"You nearly fell off the roof! I wouldn't call that fine!"

"But I _didn't_ fall."

"But you _almost did_."

"But I _didn't_ -"

"We are not going to do this argument in a loop like in some crappy fanfiction. You're grounded, mister. Go to your room."

"Shut up! You're not my mom!" 

"I might as well be!"

The two glared at each other, neither willing to relent. Eventually, Sora got frustrated and ran up to his room, slamming his door behind him. Honestly, sometimes that kid acted like a hormonal teenage girl. Shaking his head in exasperation, Riku headed home to take some much-needed headache medicine. 

"Honestly, how did he think jumping from the roof with an umbrella-parachute was a good idea. That's the last time I let him eat Chinese take-out while watching Mary Poppins."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no words for how crappy this is and I'm so proud of it. I wrote this in 35 minutes between my math and public speaking classes today. Don't judge me.


	16. Child's Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misunderstandings can ruin friendships. It's best not to hold a grudge just because you friend just made some new friends. After all, you can always make room in your heart for more friends.

_Huh? The island...? How? I thought it was..._ Hundreds of questions ran through Riku's head as he looked around at the familiar island. Everything was in place; There was no darkness to be found. But how? _Well I guess that doesn't matter now. Sora's left us behind. I guess Kairi and me weren't important enough to him._

"Um...excuse me, mister?" A voice Riku hadn't heard in a long time rang out behind him. He turned around in shock, maybe a bit too quickly, as it appeared he startled the small brunette. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, mister. My name's Sora!"

_This can't be! He can't be Sora! If this is... then does that mean..._ Riku looked at the child who was looking at him expectantly. "Oh, right! My name is..." Riku paused. He couldn't tell child Sora who he was! They were already friends at this point. At least he thought they were. "...well, my name isn't all that important. So what are you doing out here all on your own, Sora?" 

"I'm supposed to be meeting my friend here! My dad brought me out here, and his dad is supposed to bring him, too." The child's large cerulean eyes sparkled and Riku smiled at the familiar display. He remembered when Sora's eyes used to light up just at the thought of coming over to this island to explore and play. "His name's Riku, and he's my very best friend!"

"Is that so?" Riku felt a twinge of pain and sadness in his heart. This was the first time the two had ever hung out together at all. They had only met a couple days before, and Sora already thought of him as his best friend. He remembered being a bit more cynical and indifferent towards the friendship in the beginning. The memories began flooding back and Riku bit his lip to keep from crying. 

"I mean, we only just met, but still! I can tell we're gonna be best friends forever!" The young brunette looked up at the silver-haired teen. "Hey, mister, do you have a best friend?"

"I did. But he left me behind." Riku spoke without thinking. He hadn't had anyone to talk to about this before, after all. "My best friend left me behind for someone else. He made new friends and replaced me."

"I'm sorry. But...maybe he didn't really replace you." Sora looked thoughtful; For a moment, he seemed much older than the three-and-a-half year old he appeared to be. "Maybe, he didn't want to leave you behind."

Riku's mind flashed back to the memory of when he first found Sora in Traverse Town. He seemed so relieved to see him. He said he'd been looking for him. Was this child Sora right? Did he really misunderstand so much? 

An excited gasp brought him out of his reverie as the child Sora bounded up and down excitedly. "He's here, Mister! Riku's here!" The teen couldn't help but laugh at the child's actions. "I'm gonna go meet him. Bye, mister!"

"Goodbye, Sora." Riku waved after the child Sora as he ran towards the child Riku who had just stepped onto the pier. "I've been misunderstanding things the whole time. _I'm_ the one who's been the terrible friend. I should go back and apologize."

Riku returned to Traverse Town and waited for Sora. As for how their conversation went...let's just say there was a lot of laughing, crying, and a bit of teasing. They stuck together from thereon out. As for how they got Donald to cooperate...well it had something to do with a promise of a feast of roast duck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was watching NicoB let's play Kingdom Hearts and I realized something. A whole lot of nonsense could have been avoided if Donald had just LET RIKU ON THE FRIGGIN' SHIP. So yeah this was a sort of 'What if Riku somehow went back in time and met child Sora and some profound shit happened that made his realize that Sora never actually abandoned his friends?" thing. #blamethedonald


	17. Save Today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A vivid nightmare. The comforting embrace of friends. 
> 
> Inspired by Save Today by Seether

"Wait! Riku! Kairi!" I hear my voice call out as I run after the retreating forms of my friends. I see them begin to disappear into the darkness ahead of me and pick up my pace in a desperate attempt to reach them. But I can't. No matter how hard I try, I can't reach them, and they disappear into the darkness. But I keep running. As I run, the darkness moves further and further away. Eventually, it fades, and I'm left alone.

Voices begin to ring out. Familiar, but far more cruel than I remember. They tell me how I've failed. How everything is gone because of me. How I was too stupid and naive to realize the severity of the situation until it was too late to change it. "No...I didn't mean to...I'm sorry..." I collapse to the floor and begin to cry. My entire body shakes with guilt for mistakes I don't remember. I guess I never really learned. 

The white void around me disappears. I'm standing in some sort of wasteland. For some reason, though, this all seems oddly familiar. Three familiar faces appear before me. Or do they? I can barely see anymore. Their voices seem oddly far off. But they speak to me. Blaming me. But I don't care. I feel nothing towards them. Why? Why am I numb to their suffering? I want to scream or cry or run in the other direction. But I've lost control of my body. I stand there completely emotionless. Unfeeling. The scene changes again.

As the wasteland around me begins to disappear, and another familiar scene appears. An island. Where have I seen this before? I don't know. I look around. Nothing. No one. Empty. Suddenly, my vision clouds over. Everything is foggy. But I see two familiar people, a silver-haired young man and a red-haired young woman. I can't place their names. All I know is my name. The name _he_ gave to me. _Vanitas._ A familiar Keyblade appears in my hand. But for some reason, it doesn't feel right. Familiar, but wrong. Still I grasp the blade and take a fighting stance. The two familiar people do the same. My vision fades again. 

When I come to, I'm still on the island. So are those two familiar people. They are both on the ground. _Unconscious?_ I walk over to them. I take their hands. Cold. They're cold. They're...

I shoot awake, suddenly. My heart is racing a mile a minute. I'm sweating and shivering all at once. My breath comes out in heavy pants. A voice calls my name. "Sora? What are you doing awake. It's 2:30 in the morning." My breath hitches as I recognize the familiar voice. _Kairi._ In a split second, my arms were wrapped around her. She stiffened in shock but relaxed quickly. And I began sobbing into her shoulder. _She's alive. But wait? What about-_

"Whoa, whoa! Get a room, you two." Riku walks in and I break away from Kairi to run over to him. "Wha- Sora! What's going on?" Riku pulls back and looks from me to Kairi. She nods knowingly at him and he returns the gesture, before the two pull me into a familiar, comforting embrace. The same thing they always do when I have a nightmare. _A nightmare. That was all it was. Just a bad dream. Not real._ I relax a bit, but I know I won't be able to get back to sleep after that. They pick up on that as well. So we sit up together, talking and laughing and watching stupid movies for no aparent reason. And I feel safe again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this came from a guest reviewer on FF.net. It was about Sora having a nightmare while at a sleepover with Riku and Kairi.
> 
> This chapter was a bit dark but had a happy ending. Also I like playing with the idea of Sora becoming Vanitas in his nightmares.
> 
> Go listen to Save Today. it's really good. Also see if you can pick out what lines inspired which parts.
> 
> In other news two updates in two days? What's this madness?


	18. Study Buddies Pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new semester and a whole bunch of new classes. Only their harder than they were before. Honestly, who in their right mind would take these classes?

"Geez, three weeks into the semester and we already have a test..." Sora whined as he left his Differential Equations class. They had just finished the last lesson before the test the next week. Predictably, Sora was none too excited about the upcoming exam. "This teacher must really like torturing us." 

"This is the fourth time you've had this teacher; You should know how he works by now. Besides the first test in Diff EQ is the easiest. It's only one section and it's basic derivatives and integrals. If you want, I can help you study. Just no repeats of last time." The last time Riku had tried to help Sora study was on the third exam in Calculus III. Sora refused to focus. Not so unexpectedly, he failed his third exam. 

"I won't, I swear. Just please help me? If I don't do well on this test, I might DIE. Well, not really, but you get the point. I really need your help!" Sora's expression was a mixture of frustration and desperation. Riku almost laughed at how much he was letting this get to him. 

"You're still frustrated about your physics class aren't you?"

"She doesn't know what she's doing! She's never taught before! At all! We spent about half the class going over ONE homework problem!" 

"And now, on top of that, you have a test...Well have fun!" Riku walked off, waiting for his friend's reaction. Maybe teasing would help him lighten up.

"Riku!"

"I'm joking, relax. Anyway, we better hurry. We don't want to be late for our speech class." They were supposed to get they're grades back from their first speech.

"Ugh...don't remind me."

"You did fine. Don't worry so much." Riku turned and headed off towards their last class of the day, ignoring Sora's groan of annoyance.

"Says the guy who always gets A's..." Sora mumbled as he begrudgingly followed after his friend. Honestly, life was so much easier when he was fighting heartless...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I have a test next Tuesday in Diff EQ which is essentially Calc IV. How fun. So I'm venting again. Since I get no new ideas from any of you guys I have to draw my inspiration from elsewhere. This is where it comes from.
> 
> I had a speech last Thursday so that's why I haven't had an update. I'm getting the grade back today and I'm a bit nervous. 
> 
> Please if anyone has anything they want to see, drop me an idea in some way shape or form.


End file.
